32,000 cyclists from all over the USA and the world took over the streets of New York City for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour on May 4, 2025. It’s a celebration of community, empowerment and the sheer joy of being on two wheels – especially taking over the FDR Drive, the 59th Street Bridge, the BQE Highway, the Verrazano, a total of 40 miles from downtown Manhattan through all five boroughs, ending at Staten Island.
It is the largest bike ride in the United States, and the largest charity bike ride in the world, Ken Podziba, Bike New York’s President and CEO declared.
This year, the event was joined by a celebrity, Jens Voigt of Germany, an actual legend of pro cycling for two decades, competing in 17 Tours de France and winning two stages, gave encouragement to the 32,000 riders, saying, ”It’s my honor to be with you.”
The ride showcases Bike New York’s advocacy of safe cycling and the city’s commitment to promoting biking.
NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez, a former member of the city Council, cheered that NYC now has the largest network of protected bike lanes in the U.S.- 555 miles of protected bike lanes of its whopping 1,500 miles of cycling infrastructure. The city added 29 protected bike lanes – 85 miles – and saw a record 228 million bike trips this year. 99% of New Yorkers live within one mile of the bicycle network. “Biking is good for health, good for the economy, and good for the planet.”
The 40 miles through all five boroughs give riders a taste and perspective of neighborhoods, culture and quirks, with bands to represent each borough.
Along the route, bikers are helped by the 1,500 cheerful volunteers who keep the route safe, pleasant, man the many rest stops along the way and cheer the riders on.
Bike New York’s mission is to empower New Yorkers to transform their lives and their communities through bicycling. “Our vision is to increase ridership, to empower youth to lead healthy, productive lives, to remove barriers to cycling, and to advocate for and expand services to reach more New Yorkers.”
Bike New York operates the largest free bicycle education program of its kind in the world. The events that Bike New York organize, from small-scale local rides to the world’s biggest charitable bike ride, funds the free bike education programs.
In addition to the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, other popular programs include the Twin Lights Ride (Sept. 7, 2025), the Discover Hudson Valley Ride (October 12, 2025), and local rides (see: https://www.bike.nyc/events/)
Bike New York also offers an innovative Recycle-a-Bicycle program, averaging 1,800 salvaged bicycles a year, diverting 45,000 pounds of waste from NYC’s landfills. The bikes, that begin as donations, are sold fully refurbished, with proceeds from sales and full service repairs directly supporting its education programs.
Bike New York’s Bike Path Program trains previously justice-involved individuals to become certified Bike Mechanics for Motivate, the operator of Citi Bike, the nation’s most extensive bike-share program, with 33,000 bikes and over 1,800 stations across metro NYC. Bike Path is a 3-week training program where mechanics are trained to repair regular bikes and Citi Bike’s electric and traditional bicycle fleets. In 2024 the program trained and saw 45 people be hired as Bike Mechanics at Motivate. The Bike Path Bike Mechanic Training & Employment Program has a 98% job placement rate.
